NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The national media have recognized the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team with a plethora of awards this week as the 2026 postseason approaches.
USA Today named head coach Shea Ralph as its 2025-26 SEC Coach of the Year. It is the first time the media outlet has selected a Vanderbilt head coach for its SEC Coach of the Year award. Additionally, Mikayla Blakes was selected as the 2025-26 USA Today SEC Player of the Year. The sophomore was an unanimous selection for the honor and she was also the only player to be unanimously selected to the 2025-26 USA Today All-SEC first team.
The USA Today SEC postseason awards marked the second set of league honors for the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, the SEC office announced that the league’s coaches selected Ralph as SEC Coach of the Year, while Blakes and Aubrey Galvan picked up individual awards. Blakes earned SEC Player of the Year and All-SEC first team. Point guard Aubrey Galvan was named SEC Freshman of the Year and selected to the All-SEC freshman team.
During the final week of the regular season, Blakes was honored by the national media three times. The guard averaged 34.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in a pair of wins over No. 24/23 Alabama and at Tennessee to pick up her third Associated Press National Player of the Week award of the season. Blakes’ performance also earned her a spot on the United States Basketball Writers Association’s Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week team for the fourth time, and she was named the NCAA’s Staring Five for the fifth time. Additionally, the Somerset, New Jersey, native was named the SEC Player of the Week and TSWA Player of the Week earlier this week.
The No. 5/5 Commodores head to Greenville, South Carolina, this week for the 2026 SEC Tournament. Vanderbilt has secured the tournament’s No. 2 seed and will play in its first game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Friday at 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
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